BoxRec

"By Rick Reeno

This past Tuesday, I broke the news regarding an agreement being reached for a junior welterweight slugfest between WBA interim-champion Marcos Maidana and unbeaten Victor Cayo, which is scheduled for March 27 on HBO.

I received a shocking phone call Wednesday night from promoter Gary Shaw, who is currently in Mexico for this Saturday's Showtime card that features Edwin Valero vs. Antonio DeMarco. Shaw wanted to know if I had heard, or had any information, regarding the industry chatter with respect to the contract terms for the Maidana-Cayo fight. Prior to Shaw's phone call, I heard strange rumblings about the contract terms in question.

Shaw made a very good financial offer to Golden Boy for a fight between Maidana and WBC champion Timothy Bradley and they turned it down. He found the entire situation strange because there was good money involved, and a major title, but his curiosity was really poked when he, like me, began to hear some very strange rumors throughout the day.

From what Shaw had heard from several friends in the industry, there is a very interesting contract clause connected to the Maidana-Cayo fight. What is the clause you ask? Basically the winner has to stay away from WBA 140-pound champion Amir Khan for a period of twelve months or three fights - whichever comes first.

I'm sure some people are asking - "Why would the winner agree to that?" Well, there is a good answer for that. Several sources told BS the winner would receive a guarantee for a certain number of future HBO appearances and they don't come easy these days.

I decided to call several people insiders, and sure enough, everyone had heard the same exact thing.

One major promoter told BS.com - "I can't believe HBO is negotiating step-asides for Amir Khan. Are they a network or a promotional company?"

Another major promoter said - "Why are you surprised? Do you really think Golden Boy Promotions and HBO want Khan to lose any time soon? Look at Khan's fight with Marquez. Both of them are with Golden Boy and you can see the favoritism for Khan to win in their comments to the press. They did the same thing to Barrera and that's why he left."

Shaw doesn't know if the industry chatter is true, but everyone is talking about it. From my end, I called several promoters and well-connected managers and all of them had knowledge of these rumors. You know the old saying - where there's smoke, there's fire.

"It's very strange. I tried to make a fight for Bradley with Maidana and Amir Khan. They both refused which is highly unusual because there was good money involved and they would fight the number one junior welterweight in the world for the WBC title. If this is supposed to be HBO's next superstar [Khan], then how does he turn down a fight with the best 140-pounder in the world? If they don't want to fight Bradley, Vic Darchinyan is available," Shaw said"

Datsue wrote: I am beginning to lose all interest in this bizarre merry-go-round rumour-mill thingie, & propose a moratorium until the matter is settled, particularly on who's ducking whom, who is & isn't a fraud, who is taking advantage of whom et cetera et cetera...

Autobarn wrote:sadly it seems the complex negotiations and terms - whatever they are - are all to keep maidana away from khan.

Exoddus wrote:People keep throwing around the fact that Maidana lost to Kotelnik who Khan has already beat. The real fact is, Khan has fought one puncher in his 23 fight career and was totally destroyed. Boxing fans what to see how Khan will handle a puncher now he's been under Freddie Roach. allegedly and co had no confidence in Khans chin. When they finally put Khan in with a puncher it was lights out.

GBP and Roach don't seem to have any confidence in Khans chin either. It's Warren and Co all over again, albeit on a higher level.

tonyevs wrote:Well I guess its official now then. Maidana has signed to leave Khan alone for atleast a year ... ample chance for GBP to get maidana beaten and out of the picture.

Khan is a fraud and a joke. Not even his biggest cheerleaders can honestly say any different now.

gobbles wrote:

tonyevs wrote:Well I guess its official now then. Maidana has signed to leave Khan alone for atleast a year ... ample chance for GBP to get maidana beaten and out of the picture.

Khan is a fraud and a joke. Not even his biggest cheerleaders can honestly say any different now.

Wow, you really believe everything on this forum, don't you?

yiddo14 wrote:Why all the hate?

Khan at age 23 is getting grief for lining up JMM as a possible defence...

He is still very young, therefore he has enough time to get "exposed" by those who think he is a fraud.

overhand_right wrote:Have they insisted on a 'no hitting Amir on the chin' clause yet?

Laughable, terrible, humiliating for Khan, boxing at its most crooked.

Enough to make you say 'b*llocks to this sport. I'm glad it's off mainstream TV'